Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday advised the countrymen to wear facemasks in public to avert the feared second wave of COVID-19 pandemic in the winter.
On Twitter, the prime minister said compared to some other states, Allah had been kind to Pakistan by sparing it from worst effects of the pandemic.
“There is a fear, onset of winter could result in 2nd wave. I urge everyone to wear face masks in public to avoid a spike,” the prime minister said. He also instructed all offices and educational institutions to ensure every one wore facemasks.
The prime minister’s statement came amidst a slightly surge in coronavirus cases in the country. Whether coronavirus will spread more in winter is still an unanswered question but the science, based largely on what is known about other viruses, leans towards the affirmative. For coronavirus protection, health experts continue to stress vigilance about wearing masks, keeping your distance, avoiding crowds and washing your hands.
Meanwhile, Azad Jammu and Kashmir government has decided to impose lockdown again to prevent the second wave of Coronavirus in the region, says in media reports.
The decision was made at a meeting with Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider in the chair in Muzaffarabad on Sunday. He directed the concerned departments to devise a plan within two days.
On the other hand, the total active COVID-19 cases in Pakistan on Sunday were recorded at 9,135 as 632 more people tested positive for the deadly virus during the last 24 hours. Six corona patients, five of them were under treatment in hospitals and one out of hospital, died on Saturday, according to the latest update issued by the National command and Operation Center (NCOC). No COVID affected person was on ventilator in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and Balochistan, while 95 ventilators elsewhere in Pakistan, out of 1,912 allocated for COVID-19 patients, were occupied. Around 298,968 people have recovered from the disease so far across Pakistan making it a significant count with over 90 percent recovery ratio of the affected patients. Since the pandemic outbreak, a total of 314,616 cases were detected so far, including AJK 2,816, Balochistan 15,371, GB 3,828, ICT 16,766, KP 37,973, Punjab 99,812 and Sindh 138,050. About 6,513 deaths were recorded in country since the eruption of the contagion, including 2,520 in Sindh among two of them in hospital and one out of hospital on Saturday, 2,240 in Punjab two of them died in hospital on Saturday, 1,260 in KP, 183 in ICT, 146 in Balochistan, 88 in GB and 76 in AJK one of them in hospital on Saturday.
On Sunday, Sindh reported 291 cases of the novel coronavirus. Moreover, the daily situation report issued by the Chief Minister’s Office confirmed the death of one more person due to the virus. Punjab has also reported another spike in coronavirus cases with 147 new infections in the last 24 hours, up from 60 a day earlier. According to the government’s COVID-19 portal, the provincial total has risen to 99,812 The province has also reported two more deaths from the virus, taking the total number of fatalities to 2,240.
Islamabad, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir have collectively recorded 105 COVID-19 cases and one fatality in the last 24 hours.
